Skoda Kamiq long-term test: report 3

The car Skoda Kamiq 1.5 TSI 150 SE L Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer

Why it’s here To find out if a small SUV can deliver a decent blend of comfort, practicality and economy 

Needs to Tackle long trips with ease, carry bulky loads and be frugal at the pumps

Mileage 3987 List price £29,980 Target Price £48,252 Price as tested £31,175 Official fuel economy 47.7mpg Test fuel economy 46.8mpg.

1 September 2024 – Getting in on the act

New houses with trendy Victorian influences are being built every day, but they don’t have the bonce-bashing low doorways and tiny rooms that characterise the originals. People want authentic vintage style, but not the inconvenience that goes with it, so instead the architects take conventional modern house designs and apply the appropriate visual touches.

The designers of my Skoda Kamiq have done a similar thing, applying butch SUV styling cues to something compact and easy to live with. The Kamiq shares its underpinnings with the Seat Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross, and, like those models, it's closely related to the Skoda Scala and Volkswagen Polo small hatchbacks. As a result, the Kamiq and its kin are much lower off the ground than many other SUVs, and that makes getting in and out very easy.

Anybody who finds a regular small car a little on the low side, but SUVs a bit too much of a step up, will find the Kamiq extremely welcoming. It’s even low compared with other small SUVs; you don’t have to lift your leg as high, for example, as you do when getting into a Range Rover Evoque. Another great aid to access and egress is how wide the doors open, wider even than those of the Volkswagen T-Roc. Getting in and out is made all the easier, too, by just how much head room there is on offer.

Fundamentally, then, the Kamiq’s design makes it very convenient to live with. But, Skoda being Skoda, my car also has those little touches that turn usefulness into an art form. The umbrella thoughtfully integrated into the driver’s door has proven its worth on many a photo shoot in changeable weather. And whereas, with most cars, a wet umbrella would spell dampness wherever you stored it, the specific home for it in the Kamiq keeps drips away from causing a nuisance. Likewise the little plastic flap that holds tickets in the windscreen. Why doesn’t every car have one?

Overall, the Kamiq has gone out of its way to be convenient, so much so that I feel that my few quibbles may be of my own making, and no fault of the car at all. The front cupholders, for example. They’re located in the handiest place possible, between driver and passenger, just behind the gear selector, and most people would be delighted that they’ll take a pair of 500ml plastic water bottles. Unlike every other car I’ve run in recent times, though, they can’t quite handle my favourite drinks bottle. Instead it has to rattle around in the (admittedly capacious) door pocket.

I also think it’s a shame that the infotainment system can’t quite match the sheer simplicity and ease of use of the rest of the Kamiq. Okay, its layout is easier to get to grips with than many set-ups I’ve encountered, and its 9.2in display looks crisp and clear, but it can be rather hesitant to respond to my inputs, and, in a few cases, it’s crashed altogether. It also has a love-hate relationship with my phone; sometimes the two pair immediately, but sometimes my phone is wholly rejected.

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